Characteristics of Five Monoclonal Anti-Alpha-Fetoprotein Antibodies

Abstract
Five [mouse] monoclonal anti-.alpha.-fetoprotein (AFP) antibodies (IgG1) were isolated from 6 fusions. They were characterized by examining titration values, affinity constants, isotypes and epitope binding. Using an epitope-blocking procedure which was based on the exclusion of like antibodies, 4 of the 5 monoclonal antibodies were found to be different. Antibody individuality was further demonstrated by comparison of isoelectric focusing patterns. The existence of 4 distinct anti-AFP antibodies strongly suggests the presence of at least that many epitopes on the AFP molecule.